This invention relates generally to rifles, and more particularly to an improved muzzle-loading rifle.
Hunting with muzzle-loading rifles has been becoming increasingly popular in the last few years. Many hunters prefer to use muzzle-loading rifles because of nostalgia and the sporting ethic. With a muzzle-loader, a hunter has only one shot and, therefore, because a game animal has a greater chance to escape with its life, the hunter's skill can be more adequately tested. Some hunters also enjoy the muzzle-loading routine of pouring powder down the rifle barrel, packing it, and driving a shot down the barrel. Some states even have a different, special hunting season for sportsmen with muzzle-loading firearms.
Hunters, however, have had problems with the prior muzzle-loading firearms. Traditional muzzle-loading rifles use an intricate system of delicate springs and levers to ignite the charge. The complexity of the weapon is multiplied by an excessive number of parts. Instead of being one piece, the bolt typically comprises a large number of parts (anvil, bolt body, a bolt lever, etc.). Frequently, the small, intricate parts of these muzzle-loaders break, leaving the frustrated hunter out in the woods, often with a game animal in sight. Additionally, a bolt lever must be rotated to "cock" the rifle; if the lever is accidentally rotated out of its receiving groove, the rifle discharges. Moreover, prior muzzle-loaders either have one or no safety mechanism. Therefore, the hunter is taking the risk that the gun might inadvertantly discharge, causing injury.